Craftora

A simple Windows video editor, and FETCH anything.

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_{Shown: Big Buck Bunny © Blender Foundation, CC BY 3.0.}

Put clips on a timeline, trim and split them, stack picture-in-picture, add titles, music, voice-overs and captions, cut a video by deleting its words, then export a clean video or audio file. Files on your PC work offline, and nothing is uploaded.

Craftora is a Tauri 2 app with a React and TypeScript interface. FFmpeg and yt-dlp ship inside it and do the cutting, rendering and downloading.

Status: young (v0.5) and changing quickly. Please report problems.

Download

• GitHub: get Craftora_<version>_x64-setup.exe from Releases and run it. It installs for your Windows account without admin rights.
  • The installer isn't code-signed, so Windows SmartScreen may say the publisher is unknown: choose More info, then Run anyway.
  • Craftora checks for updates when it starts and offers to install them. Check by hand or turn this off in Settings → Updates.
• Microsoft Store: submitted, waiting for Microsoft's review. Store copies are signed by Microsoft and updated by the Store.

Windows 10 (version 1809 or later) or Windows 11, 64-bit. 8 GB of memory is recommended.

What you can do

Bring things in

• Import video, audio and images (PNG, JPEG, WebP, BMP) from your PC: the Import button, Ctrl+O, or drag files onto the window. Imported files work offline, even files of several GB. An image starts at 5 seconds on the timeline; drag its edge to show it for longer.
• Paste a link from YouTube or any of the many sites yt-dlp supports and click Fetch: the video goes straight onto the timeline, ready to edit (only the parts you use are downloaded when you export). The ⬇ button downloads the whole video for smoother, offline editing; downloads can be paused, resumed later and renamed while they run.
• Live streams: paste the link to a stream that's on right now. Craftora records it while you edit, and Stop recording turns it into a normal video file.
• Links that need a login (private, age-restricted, members-only): click Sign in to … on the error. Craftora opens its own small browser window (separate from your own browser); log in, then click Fetch this video. It finds players embedded from other sites too. The login is remembered and only used for that website, and Settings lists every website that saved cookies, with Forget and Hide. Ads and trackers are blocked in that window (switch it off in Settings → Privacy if a site's login stops working).
• Sites that block bots (such as Cloudflare's check): Craftora tries again as a browser and edits the downloaded copy.
• Downloads go to your Downloads folder, or one you choose in Settings → Saving.
• Not sure a link is safe? Click Check next to the top link box: Craftora asks VirusTotal whether security vendors flag its website (only the website's name is sent, never the full link). It uses your own free VirusTotal key, added once in Settings → Links.
• Link previews are cached on your PC as they play, so jumping back is instant. They play the best quality the video has; the picker next to the speed (Best, 1080p, 720p…) lowers it for slow Wi-Fi.

Captions and edit by text

• Captions come from the website when it has them; otherwise Craftora listens to the sound and writes them, on your PC, without internet (Khmer and Thai too).
• With CC on, captions show on the preview and go into the export. Drag them anywhere and resize them from a corner (all captions together), or pick Top / Middle / Bottom. Long lines wrap to fit the picture. Add captions puts them on a track as text you can edit.
• Style captions: click them on the preview to pick the font, colour, size and a shadow, outline or dark box. Open captions file brings in your own .srt, .vtt or .lrc; Save as .srt saves them for YouTube or any player.
• The Transcript tab shows what's said: click a word to jump there, select words and press Delete to cut them out of the video, or Cut every "um" in one click. Replace all fixes a wrong word or name in every caption at once.

Edit on the timeline

• Every video track works the same way: higher tracks are drawn over lower ones, and any clip can fill the frame or be a small picture-in-picture. Audio tracks hold music and voice-overs, Text tracks hold titles. Add as many tracks as you like with + Track.
• The magnet on a track's header keeps its clips back to back (no gaps) and allows transitions; turn it off to place clips anywhere. Video 1 starts with it on.
• Drag media from the sidebar onto any track. A video on an audio track uses just its sound.
• Drag clips to move them and their edges to trim. Split at the playhead (S), duplicate (Ctrl+D), cut silences in one click, split by chapters, mute any track, delete, and undo or redo anything (Ctrl+Z / Ctrl+Y). Edges snap to the playhead and to other clips.
• The sound wave under the preview and on each clip shows how loud every moment is.
• Drag the red playhead, or anywhere on the ruler, to move through the video.

Shape each clip (select it; settings are on the right)

• Move and resize any video or text directly on the preview: drag to move, drag a corner to resize.
• Crop, mirror, reverse, fill the frame (cutting off the edges instead of showing black bars), change speed (0.25× to 4×), fade in and out, and set the volume.
• Transitions between clips on a magnetic track: crossfade or dip to black.
• Text: words, font, size, colour, edge (shadow, outline or box) and place.
• A clip whose file moved or was renamed gets Find file to point Craftora to it.

AI assistant (optional): describe an edit in your own words, such as "add the title My Trip for 3 seconds" or "put crossfades between all the clips", and it makes the edit. It uses your own API key for Gemini, ChatGPT or Claude, or an AI already on your PC (Claude Code, Codex, Gemini CLI, Antigravity, Ollama, LM Studio); see The AI assistant.

Export

• MP4 or MKV video, or audio only (MP3, WAV, FLAC), in 16:9, 9:16 (Shorts and Reels), 1:1 or 4:3. Made for gives one-click presets for YouTube, TikTok · Reels · Shorts and Instagram (upright and square ones make every picture fill the frame).
• Type the file name yourself under Add to queue.
• Fast export uses your graphics card (NVIDIA, Intel or AMD) when the PC has one, which is several times quicker; Best quality uses the processor for smaller files.
• Add to queue shows a short summary first (quality, length, size, where it's saved).
• Exports run in a queue at the bottom while you keep editing. Pause anything in it (downloads carry on where they stopped), and a notification tells you when it's done while you're in another window. Choose the save folder next to Save to in the Export panel or in Settings (default: Videos\Craftora).
• Open Command that will run in the Export panel to see the exact FFmpeg and yt-dlp commands.

Make it yours: Settings → Theme has Classic, Dark glass and Light glass.

Your work is kept

• Projects save themselves as you edit. The sidebar has a page for each kind of thing: Projects, Media library (every file you've imported, with search and ★ Saved), Downloads, History (every link you've fetched) and Exports. Rest the mouse on a video's picture to see it play.
• Hide anything on those pages: it moves to a folded Hidden list (Unhide brings it back; nothing is deleted). Settings → Privacy can take the Hidden lists away completely.
• Before anything that can't be undone (deleting a project or file, signing out of a website, stopping a recording, closing with a download or export unfinished), Craftora asks first. Deleted exports go to the Recycle Bin. Edits on the timeline can always be undone with Ctrl+Z.

How export works

• One untouched clip: the fast path. For a link, yt-dlp downloads only that section; for a file on your PC, FFmpeg copies the section without re-encoding. Fast keeps the original quality but starts on the nearest keyframe; Precise is frame-accurate and re-encodes.
• Anything more (several clips, tracks, text, crop, speed, fades or transitions): Craftora renders the whole timeline in one FFmpeg pass, each clip reading only its own part of its file. For links, yt-dlp first downloads just the parts the timeline uses.

Limitation

• Thought Craftora can fetch almost every video from any website Some website will require you for login (often works without login)
• Some website will not work on preview , so you need to download it fist

The AI assistant

1. Open the Assistant tab at the top of the right panel.
2. AI on this PC: Craftora lists the AI programs it finds (Claude Code, Codex, Gemini CLI, Antigravity) and local AI servers that are running (Ollama, LM Studio). Click Use; no key is needed, because each one uses its own sign-in. Another local server works too: type its address, such as http://localhost:11434/v1. AI programs answer more slowly than a key does. Or with an API key: pick the AI you have an account with and paste its API key: Gemini (free to start), ChatGPT or Claude (both need API credit). App subscriptions (Google AI Pro, ChatGPT Plus, Claude Pro) don't cover the API, so the key is separate. Craftora tries the key first and only keeps it if it works.
3. Pick a model: Craftora suggests two or three good ones for your key, and Search all models… finds any other. On Gemini's free plan, if a model is busy or not in your plan, the assistant switches to another one by itself. Switch AI any time from the list at the top.
4. Type what you want changed. Everything the assistant does for one message is a single undo step (Ctrl+Z).

Keys are kept in Windows Credential Manager on your PC and are only ever sent to the service they belong to (Craftora's screens never see them again, and websites opened in Craftora can't use them). Each message sends your words and a text description of the timeline (clip names, times and settings, never the media) to that service. The assistant can't watch or listen to your media, so it can't find silences or "the funny part" yet. See the privacy policy.

Keyboard shortcuts

Keys	Action
Space	Play / pause
S	Split at the playhead
Ctrl+D	Duplicate the selected clip
Delete	Delete the selected clip
Ctrl+Z / Ctrl+Y	Undo / redo
I / O	Trim the selected clip's start / end to the playhead
T	Add text at the playhead
← / →	Back / forward 5 seconds (Shift: one frame)
↑ / ↓	Preview volume up / down
Home / End	Go to the start / end
F	Full-screen preview (Esc to leave)
Ctrl+O	Import files
Ctrl+Enter	Add to the export queue
Ctrl+B / Ctrl+Alt+B	Collapse the left / right panel
Esc	Deselect

Privacy

Craftora goes online only when you ask it to: fetching a link, sending a message to the assistant, or checking for updates (which you can turn off). Files from your PC are never uploaded, and captions made from the sound are made on your PC. Settings → Privacy takes an HTTP proxy for every connection Craftora makes, and can hide the Hidden lists. Details: PRIVACY.md.

For developers

Requirements (Windows)

Tool	Why	Install
Bun	Installs packages and runs scripts	winget install Oven-sh.Bun
Rust	Builds the Tauri backend	winget install Rustlang.Rustup
Visual Studio Build Tools, with Desktop development with C++	The C++ compiler and Windows SDK that Rust needs	winget install Microsoft.VisualStudio.2022.BuildTools (tick the C++ workload)
WebView2	Draws the interface	Already part of Windows 10/11

Open a new terminal after installing so it picks up the new tools.

Getting started

git clone https://github.com/Cchheanglim/Craftora.git
cd Craftora
bun install

# Download yt-dlp, FFmpeg, Deno and whisper.cpp (checksum-verified) into src-tauri/bin/
powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File scripts/fetch-sidecars.ps1

# Run the desktop app with live reload
bun tauri dev

The first bun tauri dev compiles the Rust side, which takes a few minutes; later runs are quick. To update yt-dlp (sites change often), run scripts/fetch-sidecars.ps1 -Force.

bun run dev serves just the interface at http://localhost:1420 in a normal browser. It can't reach your files or the engines, so it runs a demo project and simulates exports.

Building

• Installer: bun tauri build --no-sign puts the .exe and .msi installers in src-tauri/target/release/bundle/. --no-sign skips the update signature, which needs the private update key.
• Microsoft Store package: powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File scripts/make-msix.ps1 (add -Test without the Store identity file).
• Releases are built by GitHub Actions from a version tag. See RELEASING.md.

Project structure

src/                      React + TypeScript interface (plain CSS)
  project/                The editing model
    model.ts              Media, tracks, clips, transitions
    actions.ts            Every edit as a named action (add, move, trim, split, speed…)
    useProject.ts         Project state with undo/redo
    usePlayback.ts        The timeline clock
    exportPlan.ts         Fast cut vs full render, sizes and command preview
  assistant/              The AI assistant: tools (one per edit action) and the chat loop
  components/             Toolbar, Sidebar, Preview, TimelineEditor, Inspector, Transcript,
                          ExportPanel, AssistantPanel, QueueDock, Home and the sidebar
                          pages (Projects, MediaLibrary, Downloads, History, Library, Settings)
  lib/                    Bridges to Rust (engine, storage), updates
  state/useQueue.ts       The export queue
  styles/                 Design tokens and shared controls (see DESIGN.md)
src-tauri/                Rust (Tauri 2)
  src/media.rs            Fetch: yt-dlp --dump-json → formats and preview
  src/media_cache.rs      Link previews from a disk cache; stream relay; big local files
  src/signin.rs           Craftora's browser window: logins, cookies, "Fetch this video"
  src/captions.rs         Captions from websites, .srt files; speech.rs makes them from the sound
  src/live.rs             Recording live streams; page_fetch.rs for bot-checked sites
  src/privacy.rs          The proxy for every connection; ad blocking in the sign-in window
  src/local.rs            Open files with ffprobe; preview copies; sound waves
  src/jobs.rs             Queue plumbing, progress, pause and cancel, fast single cuts
  src/engine.rs           Runs the engines; nothing keeps running after Craftora closes
  src/notify.rs           Windows notifications when a job finishes
  src/virustotal.rs       The link safety check
  src/project.rs          Timeline render: one FFmpeg filter graph
  src/store.rs            Projects, export history and settings on disk
  src/assistant.rs        AI requests (Gemini, OpenAI, Claude); keys in Credential Manager
  msix/                   Microsoft Store package manifest and identity
  bin/                    yt-dlp, FFmpeg, Deno and whisper.cpp (downloaded, not committed)
scripts/                  fetch-sidecars.ps1, make-msix.ps1
.github/workflows/        release.yml: builds and publishes releases

Security: the interface never builds command lines. It sends structured requests, and Rust checks them and builds every yt-dlp and FFmpeg argument itself. FFmpeg only reads files you have opened in Craftora. See SECURITY.md to report a problem.

Want to help? Read CONTRIBUTING.md.

Roadmap

• Let the AI assistant hear the media (for example, to find silences).
• Exact word timing for edit by text.
• Faster previews of large files from this PC.
• Code-signed installers on GitHub.

Responsible use

Please read this before you use Craftora to fetch, download or record anything.

What Craftora is

Craftora is a general-purpose video editor that can also fetch video from many websites, much like a web browser can show them. It doesn't host, store, own, sell, provide or endorse any of that content. It isn't affiliated with, approved by or connected to any of those websites, and it doesn't include, suggest or link to any place to find movies, shows or other content.

You are responsible for what you download

• Only download content you own, content you have the rights holder's permission to use, or content that is free to use (public domain, or a licence such as Creative Commons that allows it).
• Downloading or sharing movies, TV shows, music, sports broadcasts, games, courses or other copyrighted work without permission may be illegal where you live, even if the website lets you watch it for free.
• Follow each website's terms of service. Some sites don't allow downloads at all, even of videos you can watch there.
• Follow the laws of your country. You alone decide what you fetch, so you alone are responsible for it.

Protected and paid content

Craftora doesn't break or get around copy protection (DRM), paywalls or other technical protections, and isn't meant to be used that way. Don't use it to copy paid, rented or subscription content that you aren't allowed to keep.

No warranty

Craftora and its developers aren't responsible for how you use it, for any content you fetch, download, record, edit or share with it, or for any loss, damage or legal claim that comes from that use. The software is provided "as is", without warranty of any kind (see LICENSE).

For rights holders

Craftora doesn't host any content, so we can't remove videos from the internet. To take content down, contact the website that hosts it. If you think Craftora itself is being used to break your rights in a way we can help with, open an issue.

By using Craftora you agree to use it only in ways that are legal and that respect the rights of others.

Licences

Craftora is MIT-licensed. The bundled engines have their own licences:

• yt-dlp: Unlicense (public domain).
• FFmpeg: a GPL build from BtbN/FFmpeg-Builds, which includes libx264. The installer ships its licence, and every release attaches the exact FFmpeg source and build scripts.
• Deno (runs YouTube's player code for yt-dlp): MIT.
• whisper.cpp and the Whisper "base" speech model: MIT.

Full details: THIRD_PARTY_NOTICES.md.

Only download content you have the right to. Respect each site's terms of service.